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Remember how Democrats and anti-gun members of the chattering class incessantly claim that passing strict gun control laws will protect people from mass shootings? Well, right now, they are having a hard time making that argument after California, which has some of the nation’s strictest anti-gun laws, has experienced back-to-back mass shootings.
Nevertheless, the anti-gunner crowd continues to insist that making it harder for law-abiding Americans to obtain and carry firearms is the way to stop mass shooters from claiming more lives. California Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down on this questionable argument during a segment with CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell on Monday in which he said the Second Amendment is a “suicide pact.”
O’Donnell asked the governor about the recent shooting in Monterey Park that left 11 people dead. “Nothing about this is surprising,” Newsom said. “Everything about this is infuriating.”
The host pointed out that the Golden State has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. Newsom demurred and argued that “the Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact.”
O’Donnell pushed back, saying that there are “many people in this country that support the Second Amendment and are lawful gun owners.”
“Yeah, I have great respect — I have no ideological opposition to someone who is reasonably and responsibly owning firearms and getting background checks and being trained,” Newsom responded.
After California Governor Newsome called the Second Amendment a "suicide pact", CBS's Norah O'Donnell actually pushes back on him:
"But there's many people in this country that support the second amendment and are lawful gun owners." pic.twitter.com/pqUTmj7zG7
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) January 23, 2023
The suspected shooter, Huu Can Tran, a 72-year-old man, opened fire on Saturday in a dance studio right after a Chinese New Year festival. He then drove to a second location, but fled after a bystander managed to disarm him.
On Monday evening, a shooter opened fire at a mushroom farm in San Mateo County, killing four people. The suspect then shot and killed three more people at a nearby trucking facility.
David Harsanyi, senior editor of The Federalist, took to Twitter to point out that California’s gun laws are only endangering innocent people. “California has passed every law Democrats say will stop mass shootings + more. And all it’s done is leave innocent people defenseless,” he tweeted.
California has passed every law Democrats say will stop mass shootings + more. And all it’s done is leave innocent people defenseless. https://t.co/Rik5Euzdhs
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) January 24, 2023
YouTuber and Constitutional attorney Mark Smith reminded people that law enforcement is not always able to protect people from criminals:
It’s clear that cops are not able to appear on the scene to stop bad people from doing evil to others. When it comes to these mass shootings, the police mostly just show up and draw chalk lines around victims. Never forget: YOU ARE YOUR OWN FIRST RESPONDER!
It's clear that cops are not able to appear on the scene to stop bad people from doing evil to others. When it comes to these mass shootings, the police mostly just show up and draw chalk lines around victims. Never forget: YOU ARE YOUR OWN FIRST RESPONDER! https://t.co/9DZVfQIAI3
— Mark W. Smith/#2A Scholar (@fourboxesdiner) January 24, 2023
Washington, another state with strict gun laws, also experienced a mass shooting early on Tuesday when a gunman killed three people at a convenience store in Yakima. Police are still searching for the suspect.
Leftists trotted out the usual arguments after each of these shootings and used them to renew their calls for more gun control measures. The fact that the laws they champion were impotent when it comes to stopping these shootings seemed to be lost on them. It is almost as if they are only exploiting these tragedies to find ways to curtail legal gun ownership instead of actually looking for ways to protect people from mass shooters.
The fact remains that the individual is the only one who can protect themselves from mass shootings and other acts of gun violence. In areas where police and security are not present, you are the first person on the scene, which means it is the individual’s responsibility to safeguard themselves. The laws Democrats want to impose on the rest of the populace will only make it harder for people to protect themselves while emboldening evil people seeking to victimize them. But hey, at least people won’t have AR-15s, right?
